JAPONEL
by Laurence Housman · from Moonshine & Clover
Adapted Version
Once there was a girl named Japonel. She was very pretty. Her mother loved her very much. Birds sang to her. Flowers called her name. Japonel's Mother worried. "Do not go near the pond," she said. A Pond-Witch lived there. She was not good.
Japonel's Mother bought a mirror. It was a small, round mirror. "Look in this," she told Japonel. "Do not go to the pond." Mother warned against pond. Japonel saw her face. She looked at herself often. She liked her own face.
Japonel's Mother said again. "Do not go to the pond." Japonel smiled. "Am I pretty?" She thought of the pond.
Japonel went to the pond. She walked through the trees. She saw an old woman there. The woman wore green clothes. She looked into the water. Japonel asked, "What do you see?"
Japonel knelt by the pond. She looked into the water. She saw her own face there. The old woman moved fast. She took Japonel's reflection. She hid it in the pond. Japonel saw only dark water. Her face was gone.
Japonel went home. She felt very sad. She looked at her mirror. It was blank. Her face was not there. She could not see herself. Japonel cried. Her pretty face was gone.
Japonel's Father said. "Japonel, you are still pretty." Japonel's Mother said. "Yes, she is very fair." Japonel felt sad. She missed her own face. She wanted her face back. She went to the pond again.
Japonel sat by the pond. She cried and cried. "My sweet face," she called. "Come back!" A soft sound came up. It came from the water. "I am here," it said. "Under a spell, Japonel." "I dwell here."
A Little Bird flew near. "Why do you cry?" it asked. "My face is gone," Japonel said. "Witch took it." Bird said, "Throw seeds."
Next day, Japonel went back. She went to the pond. Many birds came. They had little seeds. They flew over the water. They dropped the seeds. The pond was full of seeds. They were poppy-seeds.
The Pond-Witch ate the seeds. She ate many, many seeds. She fell asleep. She slept on the water. Japonel looked down. Her face came up slowly. It came from deep in the pond. It was her pretty face.
Japonel kissed her face. She ran home very fast. She looked in her mirror. Her pretty face was there. It was a little pale. Japonel was happy again. She learned to listen. She learned to be kind.
Original Story
JAPONEL
THERE was once upon a time a young girl named Japonel, the daughter of a wood-cutter, and of all things that lived by the woodside, she was the most fair.
Her hair in its net was like a snared sunbeam, and her face like a spring over which roses leaned down and birds hung fluttering to drink—such being the in-dwelling presence of her eyes and her laughing lips and her cheeks.
Whenever she crossed the threshold of her home, the birds and the flowers began calling to her, "Look up, Japonel! Look down, Japonel!" for the sight of the sweet face they loved so much. The squirrel called over its bough, "Look up, Japonel!" and the rabbit from between the roots, "Japonel, look down!" And Japonel, as she went, looked up and looked down, and laughed, thinking what a sweet-sounding place the world was.
Her mother, looking at her from day to day, became afraid: she said to the wood-cutter, "Our child is too fair; she will get no good of it."
But her husband answered, "Good wife, why should it trouble you? What is there in these quiet parts that can harm her? Keep her only from the pond in the wood, lest the pond-witch see her and become envious."
"Do not go near water, or you may fall in!" said her mother one day as she saw Japonel bending down to look at her face in a rain-puddle by the road.
Japonel laughed softly. "O silly little mother, how can I fall into a puddle that is not large enough for my two feet to stand in?"
But the mother thought to herself, when Japonel grows older and finds the pond in the wood, she will go there to look at her face, unless she has something better to see it in at home. So from the next pedlar who came that way she bought a little mirror and gave it to Japonel, that in it she might see her face with its spring-like beauty, and so have no cause to go near the pond in the wood. The lovely girl, who had never seen a mirror in her life, took the rounded glass in her hand and gazed for a long time without speaking, wondering more and more at her own loveliness. Then she went softly away with it into her own chamber, and wishing to find a name for a thing she loved so much, she called it, "Stream's eye," and hung it on the wall beside her bed.
In the days that followed, the door of her chamber would be often shut, and her face seldom seen save of herself alone. And "Look up, Japonel! Look down, Japonel!" was a sound she no longer cared to hear as she went through the woods; for the memory of "Stream's eye" was like a dream that clung to her, and floated in soft ripples on her face.
She grew tall like an aspen, and more fair, but pale. Her mother said, "Woe is me, for now I have made her vain through showing her her great beauty." And to Japonel herself she said, "Oh, my beautiful, my bright darling, though I have made thee vain, I pray thee to punish me not. Do not go near the pond in the wood to look in it, or an evil thing will happen to thee." And Japonel smiled dreamily amid half-thoughts, and kissing her mother, "Dear mother," she said, "does 'Stream's eye' tell me everything of my beauty, or am I in other eyes still fairer?" Then her mother answered sadly, "Nay, but I trust the open Eye of God finds in thee a better beauty than thy mirror can tell thee of."
Japonel, when she heard that answer, went away till she came to the pond in the wood. It lay down in a deep hollow, and drank light out of a clear sky, which, through a circle of dark boughs, ever looked down on it. "Perhaps," she said to herself, "it is here that God will open His Eye and show me how much fairer I am than even 'Stream's eye' can tell me." But she thought once of her mother's words, and went by.
Then she turned again, "It is only that my mother fears lest I become vain. What harm can come if I do look once? it will be in my way home." So she crept nearer and nearer to the pond, saying to herself, "To see myself once as fair as God sees me cannot be wrong. Surely that will not make me more vain." And when she came through the last trees, and stood near the brink, she saw before her a little old woman, dressed in green, kneeling by the water and looking in.
"There at least," she said to herself, "is one who looks in without any harm happening to her. I wonder what it is she sees that she stays there so still." And coming a little nearer, "Good dame," called Japonel, "what is it you have found there, that you gaze at so hard?" And the old woman, without moving or looking up, answered, "My own face; but a hundred times younger and fairer, as it was in my youth."
Then thought Japonel, "How should I look now, who am fair and in the full bloom of my youth? It is because my mother fears lest I shall become vain that she warned me." So she came quickly and knelt down by the old woman and looked in. And even as she caught sight of her face gazing up, pale and tremulous ("Quick, go away!" its lips seemed to be saying), the old woman slid down from the bank and caught hold of her reflection with green, weed-like arms, and drew it away into the pool's still depths below. Beneath Japonel's face lay nothing now but blank dark water, and far away in, a faint face gazed back beseeching, and its lips moved with an imprisoned prayer that might not make itself heard. Only three bubbles rose to the surface, and broke into three separate sighs like the shadow of her own name. Then the pond-witch stirred the mud, and all trace of that lost image went out, and Japonel was left alone.
She rose, expecting to see nothing, to be blind; but the woods were there, night shadows were gathering to their tryst under the boughs, and brighter stars had begun blotting the semi-brightness of the sky. All the way home she went feebly, not yet resolved of the evil that had come upon her. She stole quietly to her own little room in the fading light, and took down "Stream's eye" from the wall. Then she fell forward upon the bed, for all the surface of her glass was grown blank: never could she hope to look upon her own face again.
The next morning she hung her head low, for she feared all her beauty was flown from her, till she heard her father say, "Wife, each day it seems to me our Japonel grows more fair." And her mother answered, sighing, "She is too fair, I know."
Then Japonel set out once more for the pond in the wood. As she went the birds and the flowers sang to her, "Look up, Japonel; look down, Japonel!" but Japonel went on, giving them no heed. She came to the water's side, and leaning over, saw far down in a tangle of green weeds a face that looked back to hers, faint and blurred by the shimmering movement of the water. Then, weeping, she wrung her hands and cried:
"Ah! sweet face of Japonel,
Beauty and grace of Japonel,
Image and eyes of Japonel,
'Come back!' sighs Japonel."
And bubble by bubble a faint answer was returned that broke like a sob on the water's surface:
"I am the face of Japonel,
The beauty and grace of Japonel;
Here under a spell, Japonel,
I dwell, Japonel."
All day Japonel cried so, and was so answered. Now and again, green weeds would come skimming to the surface, and seem to listen to her reproach, and then once more sink down to their bed in the pond's depths, and lie almost still, waving long slimy fingers through the mud.
The next day Japonel came again, and cried as before:
"Ah! sweet face of Japonel,
Beauty and grace of Japonel,
Image and eyes of Japonel,
'Come back!' cries Japonel."
And her shadow in the water made answer:
"I am the face of Japonel,
The beauty and grace of Japonel;
Here under a spell, Japonel,
I dwell, Japonel."
Now as she sat and sorrowed she noticed that whenever a bird flew over the pond it dropped something out of its mouth into the water, and looking she saw millet-seeds lying everywhere among the weeds of its surface; one by one they were being sucked under by the pond-witch.
Japonel stayed so long by the side of the pond, that on her way home it had fallen quite dark while she was still in the middle of the wood. Then all at once she heard a bird with loud voice cry out of the darkness, "Look up, Japonel!" The cry was so sudden and so strange, coming at that place and that hour, that all through her grief she heard it, and stopped to look up. Again in the darkness she heard the bird cry, "Why do you weep, Japonel?" Japonel said, "Because the pond-witch has carried away my beautiful reflection in the water, so that I can see my own face no more."
Then the bird said, "Why have you not done as the birds do? She is greedy; so they throw in millet-seeds, and then she does not steal the reflection of their wings when they pass over." And Japonel answered, "Because I did not know that, therefore I am to-day the most miserable of things living." Then said the bird, "Come to-morrow, and you shall be the happiest."
So the next day Japonel went and sat by the pond in the wood, waiting to be made the happiest, as the bird had promised her. All day long great flocks of birds went to and fro, and the pond became covered with seeds. Japonel looked; "Why, they are poppy-seeds!" she cried. (Now poppy-seeds when they are eaten make people sleep.) Just as the sun was setting all the birds began suddenly to cry in chorus, "Look down, Japonel! Japonel, look down!" And there, on the pond's surface, lay an old woman dressed in green, fast asleep, with all the folds of her dress and the wrinkles of her face full of poppy-seeds.
Then Japonel ran fast to the pond's edge and looked down. Slowly from the depth rose the pale beautiful reflection of herself, untying itself from the thin green weeds, and drifting towards the bank. It looked up with tremulous greeting, half sadness, half pleasure, seeming so glad after that long separation to return to its sweet mistress. So as it came and settled below her own face in the water, Japonel stooped down over it and kissed it.
Then she sprang back from the brink and ran home, fast, fast in the fading light. And there, when she looked in her mirror, was once more the beautiful face she loved, a little blue and wan from its long imprisonment under water. And so it ever remained, beautiful, but wan, to remind her of the sorrow that had come upon her when, loving this too well, she had not loved enough to listen to the cry of the birds: "Look up, Japonel!" and, "Japonel, look down!"
Story DNA
Moral
Excessive vanity and disobedience to wise counsel can lead to loss and sorrow, but humility and heeding nature's guidance can restore what was lost.
Plot Summary
Japonel, a beautiful wood-cutter's daughter, becomes vain after receiving a mirror, ignoring her mother's warnings about a dangerous pond-witch. Driven by vanity, she looks into the forbidden pond, where the witch steals her reflection, leaving her mirror blank and her heart sorrowful. Guided by a wise bird, Japonel enlists the help of all the forest birds to feed the greedy pond-witch poppy-seeds, causing her to fall asleep. Japonel's reflection then rises from the water and returns to her, restoring her beauty in the mirror, though it remains slightly wan as a lasting reminder of her past folly.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to vanity to sorrow to redemption
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Laurence Housman was an English writer and illustrator, known for his fairy tales and fantasy, often with a subtle moral or psychological depth, published around the turn of the 20th century.
Plot Beats (12)
- Japonel, a beautiful girl, is adored by nature, but her mother fears her beauty and warns her away from the pond-witch.
- Japonel's mother buys her a mirror to keep her from the pond, but this makes Japonel vain and self-absorbed.
- Japonel's mother reiterates her warning about the pond, but Japonel, now obsessed with her beauty, wonders if her mirror shows her true fairness.
- Japonel goes to the forbidden pond, where she encounters an old woman who claims the pond shows her a younger self.
- Japonel kneels to look into the pond, and the pond-witch, disguised as the old woman, pulls Japonel's reflection into the water.
- Japonel's mirror at home also goes blank, and she is left without her reflection, filled with sorrow.
- Despite her loss, her parents still perceive her beauty, prompting Japonel to return to the pond.
- Japonel weeps by the pond, calling for her reflection, which answers faintly from beneath the water.
- A bird, hearing her sorrow, advises Japonel to do as the birds do: throw seeds into the pond to distract the greedy pond-witch.
- The next day, Japonel returns to the pond, and all the birds drop poppy-seeds into the water.
- The pond-witch eats the poppy-seeds, falls asleep on the surface of the pond, and Japonel's reflection rises from the depths.
- Japonel kisses her reflection, then rushes home to find her beautiful face restored in her mirror, albeit a little wan as a permanent reminder.
Characters
Japonel ★ protagonist
Slender and graceful, growing tall like an aspen. Initially vibrant and rosy-cheeked, she becomes pale and wan after her reflection is stolen, with a faint blue tint to her complexion, suggesting a lingering chill from her time by the pond.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a woodcutter's daughter, likely made of natural fibers like linen or wool in muted, earthy tones. Perhaps a long-sleeved dress or smock, possibly with an apron, reflecting a humble, rural European aesthetic.
Wants: Initially, to enjoy the beauty of the world. Later, to admire her own beauty and confirm her loveliness. After losing her reflection, her primary motivation is to recover it and restore her sense of self.
Flaw: Vanity and self-absorption. Her desire to see and confirm her own beauty leads her to disregard her mother's warnings and fall prey to the pond-witch.
Transforms from an innocent, nature-loving girl into a vain, self-absorbed young woman, then into a sorrowful and lost individual after losing her reflection. She ultimately learns humility and the value of looking beyond herself, regaining her reflection but bearing a permanent mark of her ordeal.
Initially innocent, joyful, and connected to nature; she is easily swayed by vanity and self-admiration after receiving the mirror. She becomes sorrowful and withdrawn after losing her reflection, but ultimately learns humility and the importance of listening to others.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young peasant woman with a slender build and graceful posture, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a pale, delicate complexion with a faint blue tint, and a somewhat wan expression. Her hair is a bright, sunbeam-like golden blonde, gathered neatly in a simple net at the back of her head. Her eyes are a soft, gentle color, perhaps light blue or green. She wears a simple, long-sleeved linen dress in a muted cream or light brown color, with a modest neckline and a plain, unadorned skirt. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Japonel's Mother ◆ supporting
Likely a woman of humble means, perhaps with a slightly worn but kind appearance from a life of hard work. Her concern for her daughter might be etched on her face.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing made of durable fabrics like linen or wool, in earthy tones. Perhaps a long dress or skirt with a blouse and an apron.
Wants: To protect her daughter, Japonel, from harm and the corrupting influence of vanity.
Flaw: Her fear for Japonel inadvertently contributes to Japonel's downfall by introducing her to the mirror.
Remains consistent in her role as a worried, protective mother. Her fears are tragically realized.
Loving, protective, and wise. She is deeply concerned for her daughter's well-being and foresees the dangers of excessive beauty and vanity. She is also somewhat superstitious, fearing the pond-witch.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult peasant woman with a kind but worried expression, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a slightly weathered face, perhaps with gentle wrinkles around her eyes, and a practical, pulled-back hairstyle of dark or grey-streaked hair. Her eyes are warm but often hold a look of concern. She wears a simple, long-sleeved, dark blue linen dress with a plain, light-colored apron tied over it. Her hands are clasped in front of her, perhaps wringing slightly. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Japonel's Father (The Wood-cutter) ○ minor
Likely a strong, sturdy man, accustomed to physical labor in the woods. His hands would be calloused.
Attire: Rugged, practical clothing suitable for a wood-cutter: sturdy trousers, a simple shirt, perhaps a leather vest or jacket, and heavy boots. Colors would be earthy and muted.
Wants: To provide for his family and maintain a peaceful home.
Flaw: Underestimates the potential dangers of vanity and the supernatural.
Remains a consistent, supportive, but somewhat naive figure.
Practical, somewhat dismissive of his wife's fears, and loving towards his daughter. He initially sees no harm in Japonel's beauty.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sturdy, middle-aged peasant man with a strong build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a weathered face with a short, practical beard and kind, steady eyes. His hair is dark and slightly disheveled. He wears a thick, dark brown linen tunic, sturdy grey trousers, and worn leather boots. His hands are large and calloused. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Pond-Witch ⚔ antagonist
A little old woman, dressed entirely in green. Her arms are described as 'green, weed-like,' suggesting a slimy, sinuous quality. Her face is full of wrinkles, and her dress has many folds.
Attire: A dress made entirely of green fabric, possibly resembling moss or pond weeds, with many folds. The fabric might appear damp or slimy.
Wants: To steal and possess the beauty of others, specifically their reflections, to relive her own youth or simply out of envy.
Flaw: Greed, which makes her susceptible to the poppy-seeds. She is easily distracted by offerings.
Remains a consistent antagonist, temporarily defeated by the birds' cleverness.
Envious, greedy, and deceptive. She preys on vanity and seeks to steal beauty for herself.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman with a hunched posture, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. Her skin has a faint greenish tint, and her face is deeply wrinkled with small, dark, cunning eyes. Her sparse, stringy grey hair is mostly hidden under a dark green hood. She wears a long, flowing dress made of dark, mossy green fabric that appears damp and has many folds, resembling pond weeds. Her hands are gnarled, and her fingers are long and thin, like green reeds. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bird (who speaks) ◆ supporting
A bird with a 'loud voice,' appearing out of the darkness. No specific physical description is given, allowing for a generic but wise bird appearance.
Attire: Natural plumage of a bird.
Wants: To help Japonel, perhaps out of compassion or a desire to restore balance.
Flaw: None apparent.
Serves as a deus ex machina, providing the crucial information Japonel needs.
Wise, observant, and helpful. It understands the ways of the pond-witch and offers a solution.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, common woodland bird, perhaps a thrush or robin, perched on a bare branch, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. Its feathers are a natural brown and grey, with a slightly puffed chest. Its eyes are dark, round, and appear unusually intelligent and observant. Its beak is slightly open as if about to speak. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Wood-cutter's Cottage
A simple, humble home, likely a half-timbered Fachwerk house with a thatched roof, nestled on the edge of a wood. Japonel's own chamber within is where she keeps her 'Stream's eye' mirror.
Mood: Initially warm and loving, later tinged with maternal worry and Japonel's growing self-absorption.
Japonel receives her first mirror, begins to spend time admiring herself, and later finds it blank after her reflection is stolen.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cozy, rustic German wood-cutter's cottage interior. Warm, soft light from a small window illuminates a simple wooden bed with a woven blanket. On the rough-hewn timber wall above the bed hangs a small, round, polished metal mirror. The room is tidy but modest, with a few personal touches. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Woodside
The immediate area surrounding Japonel's home, characterized by a vibrant, living forest. Birds and squirrels call from boughs, rabbits from between roots, and flowers grow along the path.
Mood: Joyful, lively, and innocent, reflecting Japonel's initial carefree nature.
Japonel's daily walks where she interacts with nature, and where her mother warns her about the pond.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding, sun-dappled forest path in a temperate European wood. Tall, slender birch and aspen trees line the path, their leaves a vibrant green. Sunlight filters through the canopy, creating shifting patterns on the mossy forest floor. Wildflowers bloom in clusters along the edges of the path, and exposed tree roots crisscross the ground. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Pond in the Wood
A secluded pond located in a deep hollow within the wood. It reflects the clear sky through a circle of dark boughs. Its depths are home to green weeds and the pond-witch.
Mood: Mysterious, eerie, and later sorrowful, then hopeful. It holds a hidden danger and a magical, transformative power.
Japonel loses her reflection here, returns to mourn, and eventually recovers her reflection through the birds' help.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dark, still pond nestled deep within a hollow of an ancient European forest. Overhanging boughs of gnarled, dark trees form a circular opening above, through which a pale, clear sky is reflected. The water's surface is partially covered with thin, vibrant green weeds, and the edges of the pond are muddy. The overall atmosphere is quiet and slightly melancholic. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
